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Battle of Turaxis II
The Battle of Turaxis II was a lengthy campaign fought on Turaxis II between the Terran Confederacy and the Kel-Morian Combine during the Guild Wars. The planet's population suffered greatly during the conflict, with many cities being bombed and the countryside littered with ruined vehicles.Dietz, William C. (April 6, 2010). StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books). ISBN 978-1416-55084-6. Kel-Morian Blockade The Terran Confederacy had a hard time supplying troops to Turaxis II due to Kelanis Shipping Guild ships, which were armed by the Morian Mining Guild. While the Kel-Morian ship crews had little training, they were still unpredictable and dangerous. Confederate convoys including merchant vessels frequently approached the planet at a distance to avoid ambushes. The merchant captains often had to be cajoled by the lead Confederate officer. The Break-Out In 2488 the Kel-Morian Combine launched a massive assault against the Confederate bases of Fort Howe. They fought their way through Hobber's Gap and attacked the area between Burr's Crossing and Firebase Zulu. Battle of Firebase Zulu Terran Confederacy |side2= Kel-Morian Combine |side3= |side4= |side5= |commanders1=Captain Senko Private Jim Raynor |commanders2= |commanders3= |commanders4= |commanders5= |forces1=Defenders of Firebase Zulu Three hundred new marine trainees |forces2=One siege tank Six APCs Large number of infantry |forces3= |forces4= |forces5= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |casual5= |concattop= }} A convoy of trucks carrying approximately three hundred newly-graduated Confederate marines headed south from Boro Airbase to Firebase Zulu. They were stopped by a Hellhound attack, forcing the marines out of the trucks. Private Jim Raynor took a leadership role. A Kel-Morian siege tank, six APCs and a number of troops attacked the northern part of Zulu, where they had to face bunkers. The APCs were unscreened by troops. Raynor's scouts discovered a side path to the hill Zulu was on. A sniper and a backup soldier took control of a farmhouse and began attacking the Kel-Morian infantry, while Raynor and other troops stole some of the APCs, turning their gauss cannons on the others. The Battle of Firebase Zulu ended in Confederate victory. Battle of Fort Howe Terran Confederacy |side2= Kel-Morian Combine |side3= |side4= |side5= |commanders1=Lt. Colonel Javier Vanderspool ---- Sergeant Tychus Findlay Lance Corporal Jim Raynor |commanders2=Overseer Aaron Pax ---- Overseer Scaggs Foreman Oleg Benson |commanders3= |commanders4= |commanders5= |forces1= |forces2=Rippers |forces3= |forces4= |forces5= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |casual5= |concattop= }} The Battle of Fort Howe was a multiple-faction battle fought during the aftermath of the Break-Out. Prelude The Kel-Morians hadn't been able to overrun Fort Howe, home of the "Thundering Third" troop formation. The Third forced the Kel-Morians back into the disputed zone. However, this left the fort nearly empty of men. Two separate "factions" attempted to take advantage of the situation. The Confederate officer in charge of Fort Howe, Lieutenant Colonel Javier Vanderspool, was corrupt. He hatched a deal with a Kel-Morian officer, Overseer Aaron Pax, to steal two trucks full of valuable Confederate military materiel, including 8 million credits' worth of jammers, and split the proceeds. Pax would direct a small attack force against Fort Howe. Vanderspool's men would load the trucks and civilian drivers would take the loot away. The battle would be choreographed to allow the truckers to escape. Vanderspool would blame the loss of the loot on the Kel-Morian attack, thus disguising its true destination. Another Kel-Morian commander, Overseer Scaggs, saw an opportunity with Fort Howe being nearly empty. He ordered Foreman Oleg Benson to hide with a number of rippers at the Raffin Brothers mine just a few miles east of Fort Howe, intending a surprise attack. They would seize a landing zone, enabling Scaggs' troops to arrive in transports. The Attack The two separate Kel-Morian assaults began nearly simultaneously. After the trucks had been partially loaded, Lt. Col. Vanderspool "announced" the attack. Sergeant Tychus Findlay had just taken command of a squad consisting of Lance Corporal Jim Raynor and Privates Hank Harnack, Ryk Kydd, Connor Ward and Max Zander. When they heard the announcement, Raynor suggested the Kel-Morians would logically head to the armory, and the squad quickly threw on chest protectors as their only armor and rushed there. On the way, they met Foreman Benson's rippers, who were trying to establish a landing zone. A short firefight erupted, in which Sergeant Findlay rifle-butted Benson to death. Scaggs' plans were further ruined when Confederate Avengers showed up and destroyed his transports. Findlay's squad hadn't finished their "contribution" to the battle. Noting the theft of materiel, the squad captured the two trucks. However, Findlay decided to steal the loot, and he and Raynor drove the trucks out to the damaged town of Whitford. Aftermath Vanderspool came to believe that Scaggs' scheme had "piggybacked" on that of Pax, but blamed that assault on another overseer, Hanz Brucker, due to information gained from the captured truck drivers. He was also suspicious of Findlay, who had returned with one truck (the one with less valuable materiel). For his "victory", Vanderspool was promoted to full colonel. As commander of the 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion, he created a Special Tactics and Missions Platoon within it and made Findlay its second-in-command. He also implanted Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy, a combat medic, as his spy within the platoon. Meanwhile, Overseer Aaron Pax refused to believe Vanderspool's story of the stolen truck, and was furious over the "betrayal". Battle of KIC-36 Terran Confederacy |side2= Kel-Morian Combine |side3= |side4= |side5= |commanders1=Thane Javier Vanderspool Clair Hobarth Tychus Findlay Jim Raynor |commanders2=Overseer Hanz Brucker Assistant Overseer Danick Foreman Kar Ottmar Taskmaster Kurst |commanders3= |commanders4= |commanders5= |forces1=Special Tactics and Missions Platoon Hundreds of P.O.W.s Initial dropship force 10 pick-up dropships 6 Avengers |forces2=Regiment of Kel-Morian troops :Snakehead Kommando ::8 light attack vehicles ::2 sloths Hellhounds |forces3= |forces4= |forces5= |casual1=Half the STM platoon (18 deaths, 3 woundings) |casual2=Heavy |casual3= |casual4= |casual5= |concattop= }} In the Battle of KIC-36, the Special Tactics and Missions Platoon "Heaven's Devils" rescued hundreds of Confederate prisoners from Kel-Morian Internment Camp-36. Background KIC-36 was a Kel-Morian Combine internment camp operated by Overseer Hanz Brucker, who also commanded a large number of troops. Brucker kept his P.O.W.s weak and starving but alive, in order to prevent the Confederacy from killing the Kel-Morian prisoners it held. Captain Clair Hobarth, a Confederate dropship pilot, was captured and held there. In 2488 she escaped along with two other prisoners after three months of captivity, but was the only one of the three escapees to make it back to Confederate territory alive. Hobarth was left severely weakened by her ordeal. The Confederate commander of Fort Howe, Colonel Javier Vanderspool, had suffered a financial setback in the Battle of Fort Howe and blamed Hanz Brucker for it. He created a Special Tactics and Mission Platoon, which relied on air-droppable Thunderstrike armor, as a special elite force within his 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion. He proposed using the platoon in a strategy conference with General Thane. Prelude The Special Tactics and Missions Platoon trained in their new, dangerous armor at "Camp Crash" under the direction of Sergeant Tychus Findlay (due to the transfer of their previous commanding officer, Lt. Marcus Quigby) after being given a briefing with Captain Hobarth's gathered intelligence. As the plan came closer to fruition, two new factors emerged: Colonel Vanderspool summoned Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy to his presence and ordered her to deliver a message to Overseer Hanz Brucker and then murder him. Vanderspool wanted revenge for the massive attack on Fort Howe. Lance Corporal Jim Raynor, feeling guilty over his previous crimes, decided to make amends. He convinced Findlay to in turn convince Vanderspool to allow him to participate in a dangerous scheme. Raynor had noticed Hobarth's slow movements and feared the P.O.W.s would similarly be weak. It was necessary to let them know of the impending rescue so they could be organized for it. Raynor disguised himself as Ras Hagar, a captured Kel-Morian Hellhound pilot, and a day before the assault was dropped near the camp. Upon arrival, he met with Overseer Hanz Brucker himself at dinner, where several starving P.O.W.s were forced to play music and watch Brucker consume enormous quantities of food. Brucker realized that Raynor wasn't who he said he was and left the room to collect security; as he did so, Raynor warned the P.O.W.s. Kel-Morian forces arrested Raynor. |left]] Raynor was introduced to Cole Hickson, a previously-captured Confederate military prisoner, and was tortured about the impending attack. Raynor only revealed that it would be within two weeks, lulling the Kel-Morians into a false sense of security. They also tortured him in order to collect information about neural resocialization, but Raynor didn't know what they were talking about. He, Hickson and one other prisoner were publicly tied to stakes in order to intimidate the other P.O.W.s on the day of the attack. The platoon would be dropped on the three hills protecting the internment camp, then capture a landing zone, enabling more dropships to arrive and rescue the P.O.W.s. The Battle The Confederate attack initially went well. Findlay led troops into the camp, rescuing Raynor and Hickson. The camp defenses turned on the POWs, forcing the platoon to act quickly. Cassidy injected Raynor with stimulants. However, Kel-Morian Hellhounds arrived, chasing off the additional dropships. Raynor suggested stealing Kel-Morian ground vehicles from their factory. There they stopped Brucker's saber command car. Brucker was wounded, and as Cassidy pretended to heal him, she injected him with a drug which would simulate a heart attack and then delivered Vanderspool's message. Brucker died. The Great Escape The Confederates created a convoy of trucks, buses, APCs and the saber command car, loaded with former P.O.W.s. Raynor led the convoy from a vulture, heading into the disputed zone. They hoped to be rescued by the Confederate military there. The Snakehead Kommando, a Kel-Morian military unit led by Foreman Kar Ottmar and based in the northern part of the disputed zone, was warned of the destruction of the internment camp and death of Brucker. Ottmar took his force, which consisted mainly of light attack vehicles, toward the fleeing Confederates. The Confederates nearly reached the safety of an enormous abandoned Raffin Brothers mineral stripper, only to be set upon by Hellhounds. The former prisoners hid under the mineral stripper as the Snakeheads approached. Confederate sniper Ryk Kydd thinned the attacking soldiers as Private Connor Ward used his rocket launchers to destroy attacking vehicles. Ward destroyed Ottmar's vehicle, killing him, and more Kel-Morians died as they were ambushed. During the battle, Confederate Avengers and dropships finally arrived, wiping out the rest of the Snakeheads. However, half of Findlay's platoon had been killed. The battle was portrayed as a victory by Captain Hobarth and Max Speer of UNN. Hobarth gave the platoon its nickname, the "Heaven's Devils". Battles of Polk's Pride Terran Confederacy |side2= Kel-Morian Combine |side3= |side4= |side5= |commanders1=Colonel Javier Vanderspool Master Sergeant Rockwell Lieutenant Samantha Sanchez Sergeant Tychus Findlay |commanders2=Taskmaster Evers |commanders3= |commanders4= |commanders5= |forces1=321st Colonial Rangers Battalion :Neurally resocialized marines :Special Tactics and Missions Platoon |forces2=Soldiers (armored and unarmored) Gauss cannon emplacements Sloths Guild Guards |forces3= |forces4= |forces5= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |casual5= |concattop= }} The city of Polk's Pride was Turaxis II's second-largest city, although the fighting drove most of the population out of the city, making refugees of them. Polk's Pride was a canal city, divided by the Paddick River. Seven bridges crossed the river. The Kel-Morian Combine took ownership of the northern half of the city, while the Terran Confederacy held the south. The north housed a strategic resources depot, whose resources fed factories north of the city. The repository sat on high ground and was protected by circular blast walls, dozens of missile turrets, goliaths and a squad of rippers, along with rear-echelon soldiers. Its ComSat station constantly swept the area. Interlopers had to contend with zig-zag paths which housed landings which the Kel-Morians placed gauss cannon emplacements on. The Kel-Morians also destroyed the bridges, which would severely hamper Confederate attempts to invade. The Confederacy made three attempts to take northern Polk's Pride, as they knew destroying the repository would cause the factories to run out of resources in months. Stymied by the river, the Confederates succeeded on the third attempt. Failed Attempts The first assault used river boats in an attempt to cross the Paddick River. However, large numbers of Confederate soldiers were killed by Kel-Morian artillery. An entire battalion of bodies was found in the Paddick afterward. The second assault, under another officer, used floating pontoon bridge sections. However, one snagged on a destroyed bridge, stranding Confederate infantry south of the river. Hundreds were killed in a "colossal screwup" by Kel-Morian artillery and air strikes. Third Battle of Polk's Pride Prelude Colonel Javier Vanderspool of the 321st Colonial Rangers Battalion developed a two-phase strategy for finally capturing the north of Polk's Pride. The first relied on the Paddick River, whose level had been reduced over the course of the war. It was almost but not quite as deep as a goliath is tall. Vanderspool planned on using goliaths to carry sections of a pontoon bridge across the river, where they would then immediately establish a beachhead in the north. The second part of the plan relied on neurally resocialized marines, who would act as "cannon fodder" compared to the elite Special Tactics and Missions Platoon. The Battle Pairs of goliaths carrying pontoon bridge sections entered the shallow water. Taskmaster Evers' troops witnessed the beginning of the crossing, but before Evers could warn his commanding officer, his troop contingent was killed by an artillery strike which fell short. The goliaths established a beachhead on the north bank of the Paddick River. By the time the Kel-Morians could effectively respond, the goliaths, resocialized troops under the command of Sergeant Trent and the Special Tactics and Missions Platoon (under the command of Lt. Samantha Sanchez) had already established themselves, along with UNN reporter Max Speer, who insisted on recording the initial stages of the battle. Trent's marines were struck by Kel-Morian artillery and eventually wiped out by a squad of rippers which tried to delay them. These rippers were in turn destroyed by Confederate goliaths and Private Connor Ward, a rocket launcher-armed member of the STM platoon. The Confederate advanced was temporarily stalled by a barricade of ribbon wire and vehicles, backed up by approximately 24 Kel-Morian regulars. However, an STM platoon firebat, Private Hank Harnack, moved forward, setting a vehicle in the barricade on fire and causing it to explode. The barricade ceased being effective. Further into Polk's Pride, the Kel-Morians had set another barricade, defended by two heavily armored sloths. Lt. Sanchez led her platoon on an alternate path which would eventually take them behind the barricade. The platoon faced several setbacks, however, first facing off against a dropship filled with unarmored Kel-Morian troops. Some of them were armed with rocket launchers, causing casualties. However, Sergeant Tychus Findlay managed to destroy the dropship. As the platoon continued, Lt. Sanchez was killed by a sniper. Lance Corporal Jim Raynor drew fire from the sniper, enabling the platoon's own sniper, Private Ryk Kydd, to kill them. Eventually the STM platoon made it behind the platoon where, between Private Ward's rocket attacks and the use of heavy weapons by resocialized troops, the Confederates destroyed the sloths. However, many resocialized troops were killed. A squad of Guild Guards, specialized in close-quarters fighting, slowed down the Confederates some more, before Sergeant Findlay killed their leader in desperate hand-to-hand fighting. The Confederates now faced an intimidating zig-zag path up the hill to the repository. Many of the path's landings were defended by gauss cannons; however, Kydd and Ward were able to take out some easily. Master Sergeant Rockwell, meanwhile, wasted a platoon of resocialized troops while failing to take out another cannon. As the Confederates advanced up the path, they easily killed unarmored Kel-Morian troops, and when attacked by a goliath, Private Harnack set its fuel lines on fire, destroying it. At the repository itself, they faced minimal opposition from rear-echelon troops, securing victory for the Confederacy. Colonel Vanderspool arrived on the scene to claim credit for the victory. As the troops departed, Findlay's squad was photographed as part of the Confederate propaganda effort by UNN reporter Max Speer, while the other troops had to retreat very slowly due to the narrow width of the pontoon bridge. Battle of Korsy Terran Confederacy |side2= Kel-Morian Combine Bennet Industries |side3=Special Tactics and Missions Platoon |side4= |side5= |commanders1=Javier Vanderspool Fitz Lisa Cassidy |commanders2= Overseer Aaron Pax Errol Bennet Overseer Dankin |commanders3=Sergeant Tychus Findlay Sergeant Pinkham Private Jim Raynor Private Ryk Kydd Private Max Zander Technician Hiram Feek |commanders4= |commanders5= |forces1=Lt. Fitz's platoon :Javier Vanderspool :Lisa Cassidy |forces2=Rippers |forces3=1st Squad :Tychus Findlay :Jim Raynor :Hank Harnack :Ryk Kydd :Connor Ward :Max Zander 2nd Squad :Pinkham :Haster |forces4= |forces5= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |casual5= |concattop= }} Colonel Javier Vanderspool attempted to steal a train full of ardeon crystals from the Kel-Morian Combine. Background Ark Bennet was the son of Old Family member Errol. Dissatisfied with his life, he wandered away from his parents one day, only to be kidnapped and given a new identity as Ryk Kydd, a recruit within the Confederate Marine Corps. Kydd came to like his new life and resisted attempts to return to his family. Colonel Javier Vanderspool of the Terran Confederacy and Overseer Aaron Pax of the Kel-Morian Combine were both corrupt, and willing to steal from their own military forces in order to enhance their own wealth. They had planned on stealing a pair of trucks containing valuable materiel from Fort Howe, but troops dispatched by Overseer Scaggs had interfered with the operation, and the trucks were stolen by Sergeant Tychus Findlay, Jim Raynor and their men. Pax did not believe Vanderspool's tale, however, and this damaged their "professional" relationship. Vanderspool assigned Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy as a spy within Findlay's Special Tactics and Missions Platoon, as he feared Findlay may have stolen the trucks. Cassidy eventually became aware of Findlay's treachery and informed Vanderspool in exchange for addictive crab. Vanderspool ordered a technician to sabotage the armor of Findlay's Special Tactics and Missions Platoon. Vanderspool would be able to disable their armor with a single press of a button on a remote-control device. However, Hiram Feek, who oversaw their use of armor, discovered the sabotage and reversed it, hiding what he had done. Furthermore, he was able to visit Jim Raynor in military prison and warn him of the impending treachery. Cassidy's spying revealed Kydd's true identity to Vanderspool. Pax and Vanderspool concocted a scheme to make money from the Kel-Morian Combine, along with Errol Bennet, owner of Bennet Industries, an interstellar shipping company. A Kel-Morian train carrying a vast amount of treasure in the form of ardeon crystals would pass through the Kel-Morian-controlled town of Korsy before being shipped to safety off-planet. Confederate air forces would "happen" to be in the area, preventing the crystals from being immediately removed. Vanderspool's men would guard a "Confederate government shipment" of valuable materials, which would be transported by Bennet Industries ships. Pax would claim that all the treasure was taken by Confederates (rather than just a portion) and didn't mind the damage it would do to his career, since he felt the Combine would lose the war. They met up at an expensive restaurant in the Honky Tonk District of Fort Howe, coincidentally where STM platoon members Ryk Kydd and Max Zander were eating out. They followed the trio and overheard much of the meeting. The three had planned on splitting the crystals into three equal portions, but Vanderspool offered Bennet his son back in return for half his share. Bennet refused, since his son had not returned home. Kydd was shocked by this development. Furthermore, after using the STM platoon to help steal the treasure, Vanderspool mentioned having a method of eliminating the "witnesses" (namely the STM platoon). Kydd and Zander went to warn Sergeant Findlay, who was currently in bed with Cassidy. Findlay planned on stealing the crystals from the (other) corrupt forces and gaining that money for himself and comrades. Cassidy took this information to Vanderspool, who decided to use Lieutenant Fitz and his neurally resocialized platoon in order to gain revenge on Findlay's men. However, Pax planned on double-crossing Vanderspool, since he hadn't believed the story about the stolen trucks. He would split the treasure in half with Bennet (who had no qualms about betraying a fellow Confederate). Later, after being released from prison, Raynor told Findlay and the others in his squad about the armor sabotage. Crucially, Cassidy was not aware of this development. Prelude Sergeant Tychus Findlay, leader of the STM platoon's First Squad, informed the larcenous Sergeant Pinkham of Second Squad of the treachery and scheme. Pinkham signed on. Part of their plan revolved around controlling the dropships they would be transported on after Vanderspool's men left. Colonel Vanderspool portrayed the operation as an attempt to rescue the former Confederate city of Korsy from the Kel-Morian Combine. Most of the citizens were forced to work by well-armed, but unarmored Kel-Morian troops. Vanderspool ordered Fitz's men to disguise themselves as Kel-Morian soldiers. They would take dropships and land at Korsy's starport, which was controlled by Overseer Dankin, capture the train's treasure, then retreat back to their dropships. The Battle The disguised Confederates landed in Korsy's starport in a trio of dropships. Colonel Vanderspool was met by Overseer Dankin, who was personally executed by Vanderspool. The colonel took his security officer hostage, forcing him to act as a guide. Vanderspool and Fitz's troops headed to the train station while Findlay's troops were ordered to sweep west. However, when Vanderspool was out of sight, Findlay disabled one of the dropship's lockouts and ordered Private Haster to guard the pilot. As Findlay's troops moved out, they rescued Confederate workers from a processing plant, killing the unarmored guards. On the way to the train station, a Kel-Morian soldier armed with a rocket launcher killed Sergeant Pinkham while Max Zander and Connor Ward rescued a daycare. Findlay's contingent made it to the train station, where Col. Vanderspool told Lt. Fitz to put them where they would be "most useful". Fitz ordered them to stand at the front of the platform (in front of his resocialized troops). The train arrived, but aboard were Overseer Aaron Pax and a number of rippers. Vanderspool realized it was a double cross. Private Hank Harnack's flamethrower was instrumental in getting an advantage against the attacking Kel-Morians. The train engineer rushed the train out of the station, abandoning Pax and some of the rippers. Private Ward blasted them onto the tracks. Vanderspool, having lost the train, tried to use his remote-control device to shut down the STM platoon members' armor. However, due to Hiram Feek's efforts, this failed to work. Fitz took Petty Officer Lisa Cassidy prisoner, causing Sergeant Tychus Findlay to hesitate. Private Jim Raynor and Private Harnack rescued the rest of the platoon. The Escape The STM platoon stole sabers, using their weapons to keep Vanderspool and his resocialized troops pinned down in the station. As the platoon made their escape toward the starport, they were cut off by Kel-Morian sloths, accompanied by unarmored troops and rippers. Private Connor Ward used his rocket launchers to destroy one of the sloths, only to be killed by another one. Vanderspool's troops, having made it out of the station, arrived. Colonel Vanderspool personally slew Max Zander, who was trying to rescue a dazed civilian from the combat zone. Meanwhile, at the starport itself, the Kel-Morians damaged a portrenol fuel tank. Instead of exploding, it leaked the fuel into a large puddle. Meanwhile, the Kel-Morians also destroyed one of the Confederate dropships. Private Hank Harnack attacked a sloth, not noticing the fuel. The conflagration destroyed the sloth and severely wounded him as well. Private Ryk Kydd mercy-killed him. Vanderspool and Cassidy arrived at the starport in a civilian truck... but they weren't in control. Overseer Pax and his rippers had taken them captive. Pax threatened to kill Vanderspool unless Findlay's troops surrendered, but given Vanderspool's treachery this wasn't a wise course of action. Private Kydd shot through Vanderspool's shoulder in order to kill Pax. Raynor and Findlay opened fire, killing the rest of the Kel-Morians, but Cassidy was killed in the firefight. Jim Raynor shot Colonel Vanderspool in the chest, putting an end to the conflict. He and Findlay took a dropship away, going AWOL. The battle ended without a winner; nearly everyone involved had been killed. References Category:Battles